Selling your car to a dealer is easier and more convenient, and as such, you tend to get less money for it. A private sale will net you a bigger profit but you’ll have to put in a bit more effort. If you’re ready and willing, here are a few things to consider to sell your vehicle as quickly as possible for a good price.
Write a Good Online Ad
With the internet, you can now reach a much wider audience than you did with newspaper classifieds or fliers thrown up around town. Not only will online ads get you more exposure, sites such as Craigslist, allow you to get quite detailed in your offering. You are not limited to a few sentences. Take advantage of this. The more detail about the car, the more likely it is anyone who is contacting you is truly interested.
First things first, be honest. No one is expecting a used car to be perfect so don’t try to hide anything. Take lots of pictures of every part of the car, warts and all.
Don’t go with generic descriptions. Be specific about the positive aspects of the car. For example, instead of just saying it is ‘well-maintained,’ you would tell them how you vacuumed and washed it every week, and had it regularly detailed, and that you never smoked in the vehicle or had pets as passengers.
Think of the type of people who might be most interested in your car, and tailor the ad to them, making sure to mention benefits that would be most appealing to this group.
Fixing it Up or Not
If your car needs work, you have to decide whether or not you will fix certain things or sell it as is. There really is no one best answer and it will depend on many factors. If you are handy and know a bit about cars, you can easily buy car parts and do the work yourself, and not chip away too much at the increased profit from being able to ask for a higher price. Certain repairs may be on the more expensive side but will dramatically increase the value of the vehicle, and may be worth it. If the car is older, certain repairs may not make sense, and you would be better off selling the vehicle in its current condition. There may be some small issues that are worth addressing, such as getting nicer floor mats or replacing the windshield wipers if they are a bit worn.
Don’t Be a Smarmy Salesmen
There is a good chance many people contacting you are doing so because they want to avoid dealing with used car salesmen. While there are plenty of good ones out there, many are aggressive and pushing the hard sell. This makes people uncomfortable. So, do yourself a favor and avoid adopting these same tactics. Be friendly. Don’t be super-pushy or try to pressure people into buying the vehicle. Answer questions honestly. Don’t make it seem like you are trying to hide anything.
